Jake Higdon is a policy expert working at the intersection of clean energy, industrial strategy, and economic development. He is the Founding Director of Advanced Industrial Zones, a state and local policy initiative to accelerate modern industries, and a Fellow at California Forward. Jake previously served as Senior Advisor for U.S. Manufacturing at the Department of Energy (DOE). Prior to DOE, he worked on energy and climate policy at Environmental Defense Fund, Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy, Data for Progress, and the Obama White House. He holds degrees from Columbia University and UNC-Chapel Hill.